National Liberal Party (PNL) President Ilie Bolojan said that if the Social Democrats (PSD) withdraw from the Government, he is to replace PSD-nominated officials in government positions.

He said on Sunday evening, within a broadcast at B1 TV private television station, that he can no longer rely on cabinet members who do not take any responsibility.

'Think about it, in a situation where you have people representing the Government who criticise the prime minister in posts, which is not done in any Government in the world, then if they do not have the dignity to resign, you must restore it by removing them from office. (...) People who do not understand that being in a Government also means an act of responsibility and public decency, you realise that if you cannot rely on them, regardless of the Government, the rational decision is to replace them,' Bolojan said.

Referring to the portfolios which will become vacant, the responsibilities of the ministers who are to leave the Government will be taken over by the ministers who remain in the Executive.

'In the event of such situation, which (...) I do not wish for, because I don't think we need a crisis, than we will proceed according to the constitutional regulations and, at least in a first stage, if ministers are withdrawn, other members of the Cabinet will take over the portfolios that become vacant following the withdrawal of ministers. It is important that the Government continues to work in the coming period, because I told you we have the issue of the European funds, we have the issue of spending cuts which we must implement... Think about the fact that we let the spending cuts to be carried out in stages, including this year. If we do not continue to reduce expenditures by completing the reforms already started, than, obviously, the financial data of the second part of the year will look different from what was projected. If we are to add the crisis coming as a result of the war in Gulf related to the increase in fuel prices which also has an influence on the inflation component, it means that there is a possibility to have an economic disruption, not just a budgetary one,' Ilie Bolojan added.

He argued that the Government he leads will maintain the mandate until it is dismissed through a censure motion in Parliament.

'We will proceed according to the constitutional provisions. As long as the Government is not dismissed by Parliament through a censure motion, it will operate within the terms stipulated by the Constitution. This is basically an act of responsibility for our country, not clinging to office, because I told you, if there were solutions to this crisis, if we were to see proposals and not just general statements about what has not been done well and what could be done, but proposals with no financial basis behind them, everyone knows that. We can no longer afford to do this. I have also said that there is another reason for all the tensions we are seeing, which is related to a disturbance I have generated as prime minister. Think about the fact that no matter how many taxes you collect, no matter how many savings you make, if you do not plug certain holes, if you do not eliminate chronic losses, you have achieved nothing and I have learned this from 20 years of administration,' the PNL leader added. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Cristian Lupascu; EN - writing by: Rodica State)